No Trouble in Tahini

November 7, 2012

When I first came to Israel many years ago, I was faced with a new world of eating and cooking. As a student, I ate in the fast food places of the day —mostly fa­lafel stands — and when I was feeling lush, at res­taurants specializing in cheap meals geared for students.

Falafel joints always had (and still do) self-service plastic squirt bottles on the counter with tahini (think ketchup), whereas at a restaurant, the first (or maybe only?) course would inevitably be tahini and humus, mopped up with pita.

This smooth, rich paste ground from crushed sesame seeds is used in Middle Eastern cooking to enrich the flavor and texture of both savory and sweet dishes.

You actually could make your own sesame paste, starting from sesame seeds, if you have nothing better to do, but my suggestion is to look for a jar or can of tahini or sesame paste or ta­hina (they are all the same) in the Middle Eastern section of your supermarket or health food store.

What you are buying is the “raw material.” When you open the jar, you will be greeted by a layer of oil. Stir this in before proceeding.

Prepared tahini keeps for at least a few days in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Once your tahini is ready, use as is or spread bread with honey and tahini. Serve on pita and you can add any number of additions in the “pocket.” Anything goes: alfalfa sprouts, sliced tomatoes, cucumber rounds, green pepper slivers.

Or you can dilute the tahini with additional oil and lemon juice and use as a salad dressing.

Use it for a dip with raw vegetables or crackers. Get to know recipes pairing tahini with eggplant, a favorite combination, or meat patties.

Use the tahini to make humus (chickpea spread) or in a burst of fusion cooking, try the tofu spread below. It tastes just like egg salad.

Tahini Spread

(Pareve)

1cup canned tahini (sesame paste)

1cup water

juice of 2 lemons (about 6 Tbsps.)

3garlic cloves, roughly chopped

minced parsley and/or paprika (optional)

Mix contents of can thoroughly. Measure out 1 cup of tahini and blend or process with 1 cup water.